Three Takeaways: Kansas OC Andy Kotelnicki leaving for Penn State
As the rumors began circling earlier this week, fans of the Kansas Jayhawks were anxious to learn that offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki had interviewed with James Franklin, the head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions. While the talks were serious by the time people started hearing about them, there was enough substance to them to make me openly wonder if Kansas needed to be looking for a new offensive coordinator.
Turns out that Lance Leipold and Travis Goff not only needed to be looking for one, but they identified a candidate already on staff to take over the role. Yesterday, Kansas announced that quarterbacks coach Jim Zebrowski was promoted to co-offensive coordinator, while defensive backs coach Jordan Peterson was promoted to co-defensive coordinator. We'll have more thoughts on that in the next few days, but a few things surrounding the loss of Kotelnicki need to be highlighted.
Kansas tried hard to keep him
Goff and Leipold knew this type of conversation was coming and they were ready to step up and pay Kotelnicki more to stay here. One source indicated that the raise offered was "substantial". But the decision to leave was more than just a financial one, even though Penn State probably could have pushed salaries even higher. I expect Kotelnicki to be one of the highest paid coordinators in the country, and Kansas seemed ready to make that a reality here if necessary.
This helps Kotelnicki's career path
It's no secret that Andy Kotelnicki wants to be a head coach some day. He has one of the best offensive minds in the game right now, and his ability to coordinate and lead an offensive staff that has a lot of autonomy is an early indication that he will be successful leading a larger staff.
I've seen plenty of Kansas fan takes that say that Kotelnicki is doing himself no favors going to Penn State, as he can just continue to be super successful here in Lawrence to build his resume. But the longer he stays on Lance Leipold's staff, the more people will start to question if it is his ability or the environment he is in. It is very similar to every offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs, where people wonder how much is the OC and how much is Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, and the system set up. Even if the money is fairly comparable, succeeding away from this group strengthens his resume for a head coaching job.
This was inevitable
I'm not saying he was destined to be snapped up by the Nittany Lions this season, but Kotelnicki has been on Leipold's staff for much longer than most high-level coordinators ever are. With the success that was seen at Buffalo and then here at Kansas, it was only a matter of time before Kotelnicki would be leaving for another job, especially since he does aspire to be a head coach.
Lance Leipold intends on coaching here the rest of his career. That could be just a couple more years, or he could potentially be here another decade. It isn't reasonable for Kansas fans to expect a young coaching prospect to wait patiently for an opportunity when he has those opportunities now.
The main thing to remember is that Kansas has seen a remarkable turnaround under Lance Leipold and his staff. While Kotelnicki was a big part of that transformation, the system he helped mold here at Kansas doesn't just go away. The Jayhawks will need Zebrowski to step in and strive to be as creative as Kotelnicki was, but the pieces are all here for continued success.
